Atom Bomb at Bikini Atoll

A massive column of water rises from the sea as the U.S. detonate an atom bomb at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific in the first underwater test of the device, July 25, 1946. (AP Photo) more 

Link to a very high resolution picture.

next episode: Clara

Daguerreotype 6th plate

This is the same daguerreotype as the very first post of this blog, rescanned in a much better resolution. The dag is a 6th plate, this implies a size of 2.75 x 3.25 inches (7 x 8 cm). The picture dates back to around 1850..

This is my favorite daguerreotype.

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Paulus Bor - Bacchus

Bacchus, painted by Paulus Bor (Amersfoort, circa 1601 - Amersfoort, 1669) in 1630-1635. Oil on canvas, 149 x 106 cm. Present location: the National Museum in Pozan, Poland.

In Italy Paulus was one of the founding members of the Bentveughels, a group of Dutch painters living in Rome. They were notorious for their wild parties and initiations.

next episode: Dag

Gene Tierney - 'Dragonwyck' (1946)

Gene Tierney in 'Dragonwyck' (1946)

During the filming of 'Dragonwyck' she met John F. Kennedy, and they got romantically involved.

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Mucha - La Musique

Mucha: Muse de La Musique (1898)

next episode: Dragonwyck

Diaolou

An abandoned diaolou (source).

In the Kaiping County in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong more than 1800 defense towers called Dialou are standing, often in rural areas. They were build from the 14th century up to the 1930s and were mend as defense structures against riots, rebellions and bandits.

The Ruishi Diaolou was build in 1921 and features a Byzantine style roof (source).

In 2007 the Diaolou were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

next episode: La Musique

Sir John Lysaght Pennefather

Lieutenant General Pennefather, and Captain Wing, Captain Layard, Captain Ellison, Colonel Wilbraham, Colonel Percy Herbert, Major Thackwell and Dr. Wood, officers of his staff.

Sir John Lysaght Pennefather (1798–1872) was a British soldier who won two very remarkable victories. Firstly in India, where it was said that 500 Irishmen defeated 35,000 Indians. Secondly, at the Battle of Inkerman, 5 November 1854 during the Crimean War, where he commanded a division of 3,000 Irishmen fighting in the fog were said to have killed 35,000 Russians.

Lieutenant Sir John L. General Pennefather.

Photos by Roger Fenton, 1855.

next episode: mysterious watchtowers

Koenigsberg

See: http://home.tiscali.nl/robeam/koeningsberg/PLAN-ORTE-KOENIGSBERG.htm

next episode: John Lysaght Pennefather

Crown Prince Willem Day !

The then future king William IV of the Netherlands.

Crown Prince William (The Hague, 4 September 1840 – Paris, 11 June 1879). His nickname was Wiwill. At his birth, he held the third position in the line of succession to the Dutch throne and the seventeenth position in the line of succession to the British throne. He was the heir apparent to his father King William III of the Netherlands from 17 March 1849 until his death.


more photos

next episode: Koenigsberg

King Louis Bonaparte Day !

Louis Bonaparte (Lodewijk Napoleon) (September 2, 1778 – July 25, 1846) was King of Holland from 1806 until 1810. Before 1806 The Netherlands were a conglomeration of semi-independent nations. Louis centralized the government, introduced a single monetary unit, a museum of the arts, and many other worthy and valuable things. His bitchy wife Hortense gave him three sons, among others the future French emperor Napoleon III. Before and after his reign the Netherlands were governed by the family of Orange-Nassau. They covered up Louis roll in history; he still is hardly mentioned in schoolbooks.

next episode: Willem